Shipping personnel have refused to work on the bed of regular flatbed trailers or drive forklifts (i.e. loading/unloading devices) on regular flatbed trailers due to the fear of falling over the edge or end of this type of trailer.
Some flatbed trailers are equipped with removable walls or “side kits”. These are specialized trailers and are not common place when contracting flatbed services.
These side kits are owned by the trucking company and considered part of the trailer. Typically they are bulky, heavy and not easily assembled or removed. Their primary use is protection of the cargo during transit. Other then the walled site line of side kits, they provide limited visual and no audible warning to the cargo loader of his proximity to the edge or end of the trailer. A mechanism does not exist that provides both a visual site line and an audible warning of danger when loading flatbed trailers.
Because there are differences in the style of regular flatbed trailers. A need also exists for a safety warning device to be convertible, able to conform to the different flatbed trailer types and used universally.
An audible and visual safety warning device would benefit both the trucking company and the shipping or receiving company. Making this safety warning device storable will enable it to be owned and transported by the truck operator and/or shipping personnel at the site of loading or unloading.
Many times cargo loading areas are staffed with only a few employees or direct supervision is lacking during the loading or unloading process. A need exists to audibly alert both the employee loading cargo onto or off a trailer, any personnel near this impending danger and any off site personnel who can assist or prevent injury when notified.
These safety concerns also apply in areas other then the loading or unloading of cargo on regular flatbed trailers. As an example construction areas and machine shops have also looked for ways to warn employees or visitors of danger.
A similar need is seen in alerting personnel or warning individuals of impending danger with both audible and visual means. Currently there is not a portable device that provides a person or persons a warning of danger both visually and audibly, which can be configured to the specific area being protected.
Based on the problems set forth above a need exists for both a visual warning and audible warning signal, with the ability to easily install, remove and store this device and for the ability to notify off site personnel of another persons danger or intrusion.
This device should be portable, storable, and able to convert, allowing proper set-up. It can be customized for use with flatbed trailers or mounted to a stand and used as a general purpose safety warning device. Which may be portable, or permanently secured to provide a stationary warning device.